


Sotoba's Archive

by SomeoneFromHeLL



Category: Shiki (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Drabble Collection, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-30
Updated: 2021-02-01
Packaged: 2021-03-08 02:55:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,102
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26728549
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SomeoneFromHeLL/pseuds/SomeoneFromHeLL
Summary: On the morning of November 8th, when Sotoba had been completely destroyed, a journal named 'Sotoba's Archive' was found. The only evidence of the village's existence. A drabble collection, containing various Shiki characters.
Relationships: Muroi Seishin/Ozaki Toshio
Kudos: 4





	1. Chapter I

**Author's Note:**

> Hello, welcome to a little project of mine. This is going to be a series of drabbles with various characters and themes throughout, some of these might feature a few BL pairings as well. (Toshin for instance)

**I Part: Heretic**

He couldn't see anything relevant, it was all dim in his vision. Sunako did take a fair serving of his blood last night, so it was probably a given. Perhaps Seishin should be happy, that he hadn't passed out or died yet... Should he really though?

Now he laid limply on a timeworn couch with Sunako sleeping soundly. The girl's head was rolled on his side, her hair neatly falling down her back, although several rebellious strands had cascaded onto her pallid cheek. Muffled crashes and yells manifested from above as if imitating a bloodthirsty tragedy from the infinite sky. He supposed those were the sounds of the villagers, investigating the mansion. If by chance they were found here, the villagers would kill Sunako for sure. That was, what Seishin feared the most. The man even wished, that he could somehow steal her anguish and render it his own. He did not want to see her suffer or worse see the poor shiki fallen under the stake's sharp apex and yet his mind already pondered on those horrid possibilities, painting them in ghastly visions inside his anemic psyche. They were trapped inside this man-made cell, after all, there was nothing left for them to do. The prospect of escape and freedom had been forbidden. The only thing, that God handed to such creatures, who betrayed his teachings, was the agonizing wait for the inevitable demise.

Perchance this was his punishment for being a heretic...

  
**II part: Innocence**

„And you have the guts to tell me this now?"

„Toshio, don't say..."

„Why shouldn't I? You were the one shouting from the top of your lungs!"

Seishin quieted his next words, evading his gaze from a fuming Toshio. Instead of paying attention to his friend, the silver-haired male stared dimly at the catheter, slithering from his arm, like a damned snake after partaking in a fabulous feast. Really Seishin had no means of answering his childhood friend… After the quiet had become dire, Toshio leaned over, placed his hands on the sides of the ivory bed, trapping the monk's already stiff and awkward posture…

Perhaps it would be wise to note, that the whole room was deeply drenched in disinfectant, due to a particularly sharp and metallic smell. The remains of that vile liquid were still proudly masking patches of the floor - immoral and sickening. Wherever Seishin diverted his attention, the dull white followed, mocking his attempts. Toshio stopped beating around the bush, he sighed deeply, before inquiring in a softer tone.

"What happened to you, Seishin?"

No, Seishin was wrong it seemed. The walls had abruptly gained a red hue, due to a rebellious slithering thread and with that, his friend's voice faltered.

"You changed. Why?"

The plain white colors had all but gone from the palette. Then silver-haired man tensed. Red…

"Please tell me, why." Toshio's voice got stuck in his throat after he noticed an empty smile gracing his friend's lips. "Seishin?"

Red... The ivory had finally lost. A funeral had commenced for the lost innocence... Yet there had been nothing Seishin could say to fix this freshly formed reality, this new opinion… He should've noticed sooner, that it was no use hiding his true self…

**III part: Coffee**

Two cups of dark coffee… The scent alone could drown even the fiercest of enemies and bound them with a swirling aroma. That wasn't entirely the case with Toshio, as he sat on a swivel chair inside his office and opposite from a certain violet-haired girl. Sunako had no problems with this odd meetup, she sat at the end of the table, keeping the brimming cup between her palms for warmth. Perhaps she even reveled in the fact, that she had so easily breached into the enemy's hideout or maybe she was delighted at the mere fact, that he had no choice, but to listen to her, whatever was the case, the shiki gave off a pleased, aristocratic aura. Toshio could not share such a sentiment. He despised her way of barging in unannounced and wearing such an extravagant dress, like an attempt to intimidate him.

In the middle of this interrogation, the doctor sat with crossed arms below his chest and a stake stashed below his desk. He chose to cut their chat short.

"So why did you come here?" Sunako drank her coffee, seeming to ignore Toshio's question. The doctor frowned, his patience was wearing thin. "Well?"

"I didn't come meaning you any harm."

"You're existence in my hospital is already threatening." He grunted.

"I'm sorry. It's just that, I needed your help..."

"I suppose I have no right to refuse…"

"You see, I did not come to Sotoba harboring ill intent. You above everyone else should understand the desire to live. I need to feed in order to survive, but I can't eat anything else besides human blood… "

"And I should believe you?" Toshio cocked an eyebrow skeptically, pushing his coffee away to the middle of the desk. "Have you tried?"

"I did... For a lot of decades…" Sunako nodded solemnly and Toshio's eyes widened in mild surprise. After a brief pause the girl inhaled, locking her determined eyes with Toshio. "That's why I'm asking for your help, Ozaki-san."

Toshio seemed to be blown off from such a proposition. The man felt uneasy about helping such a damnation. She was the one responsible for the myriad of deaths since summer, he should threaten her to leave or he'd execute their bunch just like he did to Kirishiki Chizuru. However there was another glaring problem in killing this species and that would be, that in between the risen dead, there mingled a fair share of well-known faces, like his nurse Ritsuko, Mutou's son - Tohru, even Natsuno was one of them, Seishin had been particularly keen on savoring the shiki's likewise. Toshio supposed that he had to give in, much to his displeasure.

"What exactly do you want me to do?" He asked, mockery hidden in his voice. Sunako caught onto the menacing tone. She knit her brows, abandoning her calm façade.

"I'll leave that choice to you, Ozaki-san…" Toshio was about to argue, but Sunako interjected. "I believe you are far more experienced in the medical field than me. In order for all of us to survive, you'll be sure to make the right decision. Yes? "

"You're not giving me an option, Kirishiki-san." Toshio sulked, scratching his head. Sunako giggled lightly at that, before putting down an empty cup.

"Call me Sunako, I hate, when others add suffixes to my name. Then we have an agreement." She stood, elegantly bowing to him then. "Thank you for having me and for the coffee, of course, Ozaki-san."

"Yeah, sure…" Toshio grumbled silently. For a minute the doctor regarded his own half-filled drink. Somehow the coffee had lost its taste.

  
**IV part: Sunlight**

It had been a very long time since Tohru had seen the morning sun, regrettably, it had been the same amount of time, that he ceased to be human. He was living as something else now, something abominable and hated. He was a shiki - as their leader, Sunako, preferred to call herself and others, who had the same fate... Literally he was a corpse demon. Tohru did not understand the need to gloat. He hated the creature, that he had become, he despised the unbearable hunger, which gnawed at his insides like a pair of irked demons. He was not strong enough to end his life, honestly, Tohru was frightened of death - the actual death - he was afraid of the pain, that came without feeding… There was simply no other way…

The man's eyes had drained from the white color, leaving an abysmal black in their wake. He was nearing Natsuno's house, stalking the night like a thief - he was no better, he was weak, afraid of Sunako, or perhaps more so of her jinrou… Tatsumi won't let Tohru's family see the end of night, if he'd figure, that the blonde had tried to bend the rules.

In so, as there was no plausible escape, Tohru quietly trudged through the fallen leaves and lost branches, nearing the wooden edge of a renovated house. its outline had been visible to him. Soon enough the blonde pinched his bottom lip, as he came closer to the window. After some hesitation he softly rapped against the glass, calling out meekly.

"Natsuno…"

  
  
**V part: Pharmacy**

A lot of years ago the heart of Sotoba used to be a lot livelier, there were a significantly larger amount of open shops and at the same time, their heavenly presence had attracted pedestrians, who used to swarm into the shopping district like a pack of bees. This particular street had been known for long conversations and warm meetups, sometimes even loud arguments, that sprung up from inside or outside of Ohkawa's liqueur store. But nothing less was expected from the village's shopping district. This street had followed the Omi river, going along its giant stream. This street nowadays would still become unusually merry during the Kagura celebration, but the numbers could not compare…

Things were different nowadays… That the twenty-four-year-old woman noted, as she walked near the river, one Autumn's afternoon. Ritsuko was enjoying the sharp breeze and the dampness, that were both customary to the month of October. Nevertheless, she felt relieved to spend her free hour this way.

However these deserted streets around her had caused a sudden twinge to manifest and poke at her heart, the mental stabbing had gotten particularly fierce, after her steps inwardly halted in front of an abandoned shop… The rusted shutter had been set, it did not budge nor move an inch, while the windows of the second floor were tightly masked by shades. All of it was the same as she recalled… This acted as another dagger to Ritsuko's childish dreams and the hope of it's owner's returning to Sotoba…

This building used to be a pharmacy…

Ritsuko could vividly re-imagine her first visit here, when she had been but a small girl with rosy cheeks and azure-colored mittens. That first meeting had transpired in an unforgiving Winter.

Her mother led her here, tugging on her tiny hand in order to hide from the unexpected storm.

"Oh?" The owner of the pharmacy – Gotouda Hina had appeared in front of the register with a smile then. "The weather's rather terrible there, isn't it?"

Ritsuko nodded, meanwhile her mother greeted Hina, retying the little girl's scarf tighter. Ritsuko's little eyes trailed the numerous colorful bottles and boxes on the shelf behind the cashier. The odd smell also penetrated her nose, making the five-year-old girl both mesmerized and curious. Gotouda Hina spotted the young girl's gaze, so she came closer.

"Why don't you stay for a while, till the storm lessens a bit. I was about to make tea, it would be nice, if you could join me…"

Ritsuko's mother gave an affirmative motion after a stunted moment. Ritsuko herself grinned widely.

And so began the long-lasting friendship, that the Kunihiro family shared with the pharmacy store's owner…

**VI part: There was a time**

_"There was a time, when I would save you…"_

Seishin always would talk Toshio out of his antics, regardless, if the doctor would approve of those irksome interruptions or not… They lived with one another's stagnant company for so many years, Toshio should know, where he shouldn't prod or when to expect an irritated pout… The same could be said about Seishin, alas neither of them changed their tedious habits…

_"There was a time, when I would miss you…"_

"Hey, Seishin." The doctor greeted with a wave, as he climbed the steps of the temple. The monk stopped sweeping, waiting for him to add, what he already suspected. Toshio smiled bitterly at his friend's expression. "I guess you already heard, eh?"

Soon enough both of them observed the village down below, as it bathed in the evening sun. The shinning sphere fell into the sea of flourishing firs, reluctantly it did so, as if shackled to the ruthless roots. Toshio inhaled suddenly.

"Well, then I guess this is goodbye… Until next year at least…" His tone sounded nonchalant, but Seishin remained clenching the broom in his hold as if readying himself for a verbal attack. The sour fact, that Toshio was leaving to study in Kyoto hurt enough, even making the monk's heart beat heavily against its cage.

"Toshio…"

"Hmm?" _'Have you lost your mind, Seishin?!'_

"It's nothing…" He shook his head, praying those relentless wishes away with a blush. "Have a safe trip."

_"There was a time, when I would fall in love…"_

It took Seishin long enough to realize those feelings and eternity to accept them, luckily he now had all the time to his leisure or despair… He had fallen in love with Toshio… But as the man gazed into an ocean of shivering birches, basking in the late sun, he smiled bitterly. It was too late…

  
  
**VII part: Runaway**

Sotoba was the farthest place, that he wanted to be in, those were the recurring thoughts beckoning Natsuno. The national road led away from this cage entombed between three exceeding mountains. The teenager was harboring an idiotic hope of going down that road and leaving this village for good. Of course, such a narcissistic wish was worthless – because that way his parents would be left to wander in the dark, about what had happened to him, just like Natsuno would wander aimlessly for food and shelter…

In his mind, the boy could envision a brighter possibility, where he would come across some trustworthy people, find a job and so on, and so on… Of course, that was just a possibility out of plenty others, that awaited him. This was one of those nights where the latter idealistic thoughts had overtaken his psyche, itching his body to finally make a move.

So in the dead of night the blue-haired teenager had gathered the bare necessities and stuffed all of his money into a bag, then quietly climbed out of the window, heading through the thick firs. Initially, he was hoping to round the woods and find a path to the bus stop. From there he would ready himself for a three-hour walk to Mizobe. If everything would go according to the plan by the time morning would come, he'd reach the neighboring town, then Natsuno would catch a bus and head to the city… Away from this damned hole…

After an exhausting trudge inside the enormous woods, Natsuno finally made it to the civilization of the little village. He took a breath and eyed it from this bird's eye's view. The houses were all shrouded in quiet submission and were leaning their exhausted heads to the night's comfort. Nothing altered or shifted here, Natsuno found that sickening. Eventually, he reached the bus stop, but his craved freedom mockingly hid in the murky clouds. Natsuno spotted a well-known dog, sniffing a tuft of grass near the metal poll. His owner – Ritsuko was nearby, watching over it, with a calm smile. Natsuno stood near the forest's opening, hiding in the shadows. She would not approve of his actions, if Ritsuko would spot him she would rant him out, there was no other way. The nurse loved this village, it was her hometown, so she wouldn't be able to understand his seasonings…

Standing between the menacing gloom, shattered his resolve and likewise flooded Natsuno with common sense. The teenager pinched his bottom lip, while clutching the strap of his bag. He won't be able to run away this night…

  
**VIII part: Abandonment**

Dear Kirishiki household,

I address this letter to you, as an invitation to the dying village of Sotoba. Perhaps the word _'abolished'_ would suit better.

The villagers, despite being the perpetrators, preach about saving their own souls. Don't you find that rather pointless? In my opinion, there is nothing left to save… At least not in this life, not for me. That's why I ask for your assistance… Breach this barrier with no fear, my friends, I will welcome you to my humble abode tonight. Sotoba is doomed beyond saving and I can solely blame this on their foolishness, while I am a fool myself… I will abandon the villagers, as they did to my free will. To greedy vultures all of us turned, we disregarded kindness, ripped away understanding and selflessness from our nests. We are all guilty, flawed. Thus we will pay for these sins accordingly. Certainly, how can we fight with reason and abnormalities, if we banished them long ago?... Let my entry serve as guidance to you and the next generations, let it testify our faults, engrave our blemishes for eternity… I pray, that the future will choose and act wisely, learning from our mistakes.

Lastly, I give permission to your kind and thus entry to my bedroom, however, this invitation does not extend to my wife's nor my son's rooms. Please come directly to me. I'll be waiting.

Sincerely,

Muroi Shinmei.


	2. Chapter II

**IX part: A play of fate**

A morning had risen in Sotoba and according to it, the drive-in Chigusa had opened its blinds, readying for another day. Yano Kanami retied her hair in a high ponytail, then her gaze traveled to the wall clock - Motoko was late, that did not happen often. Kanami thought of giving her friend a few more minutes to show up, before she would call the Maeda household to see, what was up. For some reason her mind was already anticipating a lonely workday without her friend. The woman shook her head, heading behind the counter to make sure, that everything was clean and in place. She needed a distraction from her thoughts after all.

As luck had it, the bell on the front door rang and her childhood friend showed up. Instinctively, Kanami raised her head from below the counter to greet her.

“Good morn… Dear, is everything alright?!” Her thought process was cut off, after the woman had witnessed reddened, puffy eyes, adoring Motoko’s expression. The latter’s body wavered. In little over a moment Kanami was beside Motoko, grabbing her frail arm and leading the blue-haired female to sit down on one of the chairs. After both of them sat down, Kanami placed her entwined arms on the table and enquired again.

“Motoko, what happened?”

The aforementioned female’s lips parted and she seemed to be muttering something to herself, meanwhile a loud muffled conversation passed by the drive-in, mingling together and creating a string of trivial noise. Kanami could take in angered shouts and arguments. They were distancing from the shop and the woman waited for them to fade into the distance completely.

“Motoko…” She gripped the blue-haired female’s palm reassuringly. “I can see that something’s wrong. I’m here for you…”

“ _Damned_ …”

“What?”

Motoko bit on her bottom lip, shivering for a short instance, like wishing to silence herself, but as another wave of displeased blabbers passed by Chigusa, she let her quivering lip loose.

“Those damned outsiders…”

“Outsiders?” Kanami released Motoko’s palm, confused. ”What did they do?”

“T-their car ran over a child…”

Kanami gasped, covering her mouth. Motoko continued her rant, setting her enraged pupils downwards and clutching her hands into tight fists.

“He’s dead now, he’s dead now. He’s dead! They’re beasts, they have no remorse! They have none of that!” The blue-haired female stood up suddenly, causing the chair’s legs to irritably scrape against the floor, her pallid hands went to flimsily comfort her face next. “Why must we live near such a damned road? I’m afraid, Kanami! I’m afraid!”

“Calm down…” The drive-in’s owner caught Motoko’s trembling wrist. “Shiori and Shigeki will be alright, they’re good children, they’ll listen to you.”

Motoko’s breathing had gone shallow and pupils piercing the floor, as if trying to find any celestial help down there. Kanami’s further utterances had become vague, roaring, like the waves of the sea in Motoko’s ears. She wasn’t listening to any of that. Her mind had deemed it better to speculate about the upcoming and contrive ways, that she could evade an unfortunate ending. Kanami eventually halted, abandoning her sentence midway, after spotting her friend’s stiff posture. She landed her soft palms on the blue-haired female’s shoulders, pulling her closer.

“Oh, Motoko…”

Soon after another irksome turmoil awoke outside, drawing Kanami’s attention. She regarded people, passing by outside the window, carrying their loud voices along, like trophies. The woman frowned in thought, before she reluctantly pulled away from Motoko, still clutching her friend’s shoulders, as if the added weight could transfer her own strength to Makoto.

“Stay here and rest for a bit. Okay?”

Motoko gave a feeble nod and Kanami gave another reassuring squeeze on the blue-haired woman’s shoulders and moved away.

“I’ll be right back.”

A fervid commotion was spewing outside. When Kanami set foot on the sidewalk, she spotted a whole wall of people, loitering and blocking the national road. After seeing this, she drew the cardigan’s sides closer to herself and stepped forward.

“What’s happening here?” She asked Shimizu Takeo, who stood on the side of the path. He regarded her with a solemn look.

“There was an accident near the main turn…” The man swallowed harshly. Kanami’s anxious gaze escaped to a corner, away from the lines of muttering people. There she could see Ohkawa’s huge form. The bulky man’s eyes were bloodshot and he seemed to be yelling at someone. Alas she could not understand, what he said exactly. As she warily stepped forward, she spotted doctor Ozaki, kneeling near the wounded child, who was still able to give feeble indications. Kanami pinched her bottom lip. Motoko had spewed her own theories again...

The child was surrounded by curious or disgusted eyes of the villagers and the frightened parents, who stood by the doctor’s side.

After a short while Kanami slowly made her way to the commotion, sensing the boiling distress and how it contaminated the scene and the oblivious onlookers, they had been particularly drowning in that vile emotion. Her eyes suddenly drifted towards Ohkawa, who had been yelling at the man, responsible for this tragedy, something about the rules of the village and how that person carelessly contaminated them. 

The woman’s hands clutched her chest - indeed this was a horrid play of fate.

**X part: Love**

As an evening crept onto Sotoba, dying the sky in fiery, warm colors, Megumi once again found herself unable to concentrate on homework. Her thoughts were poisoned by reveries and childish giddiness. So when her mother called, asking Megumi to buy some flour from the store, the girl felt relieved at the interruption. Perhaps it would clear her mind. If not, then it will bring a few joyful seconds of daydreaming. The teenager could even make a detour, if she felt like it and say, that she ran into Kaori on her way home or something… With those thoughts infiltrating her mind, Megumi could not help, but smile sheepishly.

In the end, it was all in the name of love…

The streets of Sotoba were empty as per usual, even though it was technically light outside. After all, the sun was still setting. That handed her a flaming horizon and a lingering chill.

Megumi straightened the edges of her violet dress, before quickening her pace, the clicking of her high-heeled shoes echoed proudly. In fact, that was, how she felt at the moment, proud, content and light-headed, as if the air itself had been enwrapped in some intoxicating substances.

The girl spun around her axis, imagining herself, dancing with Yuuki Natsuno, mocking this crumbling cement, closed shutters and moody faces. This was the way to live, to enjoy every passing moment! Life was in fact only handed once! Moping around was a sign of failure! Certainly, Natsuno would notice that soon, he would take her by the hand and lead her away to the city.

Megumi giggled at that possibility, graciously extending her fingers towards the azure sky. Until then she’ll eagerly wait for his senses to awaken...

**XI part: Farewell**

Farewell…

That word embraced Sunako, when she finally came back home. The ivory abode did not spark joy, as had been a custom, long, long time ago… And so the violet-haired girl opted to stand outside on the cracked tiles near the wilting flower buds. Her blank gaze sought the unfamiliar people, as they giggled joyfully on the second floor of the house. She couldn’t dispel putrid jealousy, sneaking its way into her. In so the girl gulped heavily, her hands impulsively rising to feebly clutch at her chest.

Everything looked so different now… Where was her family? They couldn’t have moved away, could they? Why would they leave her? When did they leave this house? No... When Sunako thought about it, she had no idea, how much time had ran away between now and when she had died... Time seemed to blur, whenever she tried to recall anything or try and determine, how much had passed, how much time she had wasted, reading books in that shed. She should have come home sooner… She was sure, they would have accepted her then…

Of course, they had been scared at first; her father - perhaps even riled at her hideous existence… it hadn’t been like that before... She had loved her father with all her heart and continued to do so after her death. Though it seemed, he hadn’t shared her sentiment, when he had struck her against the cheek. Fear had been trapped inside their hearts and they hadn’t let it go… In their eyes, she had been dead, despite the result they could see in front of them…

Sunako’s gaze lingered on the lively window, spying the occupants of the house in something akin to despair and jealousy… In the next minute one of the merry residents diverted their attention to the window. The person blinked a couple of times, retaining his stare at the darkness outside, searching for something, that he was sure, he had felt barely a few seconds ago. Even after his scrupulous search came up fruitless, he persisted with the useless activity. Sunako stared up at him from the shadows of the night. He could not see her, and she preferred it that way… Eventually, she scrunched her lips into a thin line and left, dissatisfied with herself even more.

Why did she come here? Why did she choose to wish for a miracle, regardless of the outcome before her? This place was nothing but a shell of the happiness she once had experienced… Memories were not to be tempered with… Good or bad, they all should remain between those walls.

This was her overdue farewell…

**XII part: Sleep**

“So? What do you wanna do?” Tohru wondered out loud, peering at Natsuno, who followed him into the bedroom.

“Nothing in particular. I can’t sleep at my house.”

“How come?” Tohru blinked at him, dumbfounded, before moving to the side of the bed. Natsuno evaded his gaze at that moment, mulling over his next response… Concurrently, his memories sparked, portraying a certain pink-haired youth, thus sending a few chills down his spine… There was no way he could forget that ominous feeling of being watched and no right way to share this burden. It was only his speculation based on thin air anyway... Natsuno sighed in the end.

“It’s nothing, forget it.”

“Ever thought of heading to the doctor?”

“Tohru, please drop this. “ Natsuno grunted, sitting cross-legged on the tatami. “This is only stress.”

“If it hinders your sleep, then it is serious.”

“Hmm…”

“You won’t listen, will you?” Tohru sighed, placing his hands on his hips in defeat. Natsuno shook his head and the blonde male sighed, plopping down beside him, before taking the controllers. “Agh, I guess, I should be happy, that you’re sleeping well at my place. How many rounds do you want to play?”

“Only one. I feel, like I’ll crash straight after.”

Tohru pouted slightly, though his cheerful smile was quick to dispel the previous emotion.

“Alright then.”

Though unlike Natsuno’s plans of sleeping right after, he found himself lying wide awake beside Tohru’s bed. The humidity was too unnerving to even think about slumber. Instead his lethargic head turned to the side, spotting Tohru, who was soundly dozing off in the bed. Natsuno smiled warmly, he couldn’t help but feel grateful… Tohru was someone special, his radiant personality was contagious, besides the fact, that he was way too giving. Natsuno hid the lower half of his face, with a palm. He wanted to repay Tohru somehow…

A sigh was carried out from the blonde male and he shifted in his sleep, causing Natsuno’s joints to freeze. Tohru remained immobile afterwards, only the repetitious breathing remained. He was sleeping and no obvious change was apparent. It was quiet, stuffy and dark… And that same darkness hid a ghastly visitor outside the window. Natsuno inhaled hoarsely.

“Where… are you, Shimizu?..”

**XIII part: Courage**

There was a sour taste inside Hasegawa’s mouth… And it just kept spreading... Every time, he’d see a butchered corpse, he would feel, like puking. The man’s smell receptors were sharp, and they would catch that putrid smell all over the village, especially in Yamairi. In the end, this stench had reached the middle of Sotoba rather easily... There was no escape from it, and no getaway from their actions…

Now as another moon had settled upon them, the Creole’s owner found himself walking to the western woods with Tamo Sadafumi and Murasako Munetaka.

“Are you sure, we’ll find something here, Sadafumi-san?” Munetaka asked, getting fed up with the drawn-out climb up the vegetated mountain. The blonde man smirked. Since he had a flashlight, he was leading the way through a narrow path, filled with sprawled roots of firs. Sadafumi opened his mouth after a short while.

“Ah… The lumber cabins should be up ahead. They’re perfect hideouts, unused and forgotten.”

Hasegawa listened intently from the back of the line. He interjected.

“Shouldn’t we be doing this in the daylight? If those things fall asleep during the day, it should be easier to track them down.”

Sadafumi stopped at that, turning around slowly. Hasegawa suppressed a shiver from seeing the other’s maddened eyes.

“We don’t have time to wait.” A hiss. “Every night we waste, they could be using to escape or kill us, If you’re that scared of an actual fight, go back.”

“Uhm, I’m not backing down. I’m just saying this is-”

“This is _what_? Stupid? Rash?!” He spat, causing Hasegawa to evade eye-contact. ”Those beasts killed our families; they killed my son, Munetaka-san’s children and brother! What should we do? Huh?! Sit around, doing nothing and let more of us die?!”

Sadafumi pushed Munetaka to the side, so he could get closer to the frightened Hasegawa, bringing more shadows to dance around their faces.

“This is not a simple war. We’re doing this to avenge our families… Maybe that’s where we differ, Hasegawa-san. You never lost someone close to the shiki. Consider yourself lucky.” Sadafumi concluded. He stared at the Creole’s owner in silence for an instant, as if drilling the rage into the other’s soul. Hasegawa gulped. He could have sworn there were bits of jealousy inside those pupils, though the brown-haired male ceased those thoughts, since the cabin was clear in their sight. Sadafumi turned off the flashlight and the men wandered in the dark for a minute or so, before reaching their destination. The door was kicked open and a mutual gasp followed the sudden flash of illumination.

“That’s…” Munetaka shivered, unable to finish.

The red irises veered at them in fright, revealing a river of crimson down the chin. There was something lying under the shiki.

“Shimizu Ryuuji…” Hasegawa muttered, recalling, how this man, had once been a patron in Creole.

“Shut it!” Sadafumi commanded, shoving the flashlight to the stunted Hasegawa and taking out a stake with a hammer. “That thing’s a murderer, nothing else!”

Ryuuji’s eyes looked around the assailants. They had blocked the only exit. After facing that dire conclusion, he mindlessly ran forward, baring fangs. Hasegawa faltered, slipping and falling down, while Munetaka kicked the crazed shiki away from his side. Ryuuji hit his head at the stud. There a fuming Sadafumi pinned him, sitting down on the shiki’s stomach, thus making Ryuuji’s lower body partially immobile. Munetaka was quick to restrain one of his arms, before Ryuujji could tear at Sadafumi’s throat. He called out straight after.

“Hasegawa, take the other side!”

Sadafumi coughed, prying the foreign nails and hastily smashing them with the hammer, while muttering foul curses under his breath. Of course, that was only until the Creole’s owner placed his knee on the shiki’s limb, canceling any other movements. Sadafumi smiled.

“That’s better.”

“No! _Stoooop!!!_ ” Ryuuji’s pleads were soon cut off by repeated blows and a throaty scream. His body writhed and the blood from the widening wound spilled around the men, as if searching for a shadowy place to hide in.

“That should do it.” Munetaka remarked, before turning back to the dimness of the shed. “What about the victim?”

Sadafumi furrowed his brows.

“You can check. But don’t bother. It’d be better, if they were already dead.”

“Ah, I’ll be quick. You can go; I’ll catch up with you.” Munetaka said, climbing off the shiki. Meanwhile Sadafumi fixed his stained cap and headed out, Hasegawa followed him, not wanting to stick around with two corpses. The smell was reluctant to leave and it invaded Hasegawa’s trachea, making him clutch a hand against his mouth. Sadafumi spotted that, idly lighting a cigarette.

“Huh. Getting nauseous already? The night’s still young, Hasegawa-san.”

Hasegawa swallowed heavily, closing his eyes. He didn’t know, if he had the courage to go on.

**XIV part: Determination**

In time everything seemed to glaze over in her vision… All hypotheses were hastily discarded, since they could barely soothe her psyche. After all, she had no one she could rely on, no one to pour her thoughts to… Her parents were dead… And now Akira was gone too. The last thing Kaori recalled was her brother’s determined expression, when he came to her for stakes… Determination… _What for?_ She lost way too much to conjure up that strength.

The back of Kaori’s head already found the culprit for her losses, drawing that person up on a metaphorical stake, piercing the pink-haired youth again and again, watching the blood ooze out with her final breath – the final breath of this demonic creature … Her imagination was restless with plans on revenge. Kaori treasured her life, and she had to protect it, but those were all fragmented wishes… In reality, Kaori did not have the will to fight. Megumi was her childhood friend first and foremost. If she killed her father, her mother and brother, Megumi will surely not waste time in disposing of Kaori as well. She was probably savoring her, like a sweet cherry on top.

That was why…

Kaori bit on her bottom lip. Tears betrayed her nihilistic resolve... There was no argument, that she will die from Megumi’s hands. The only thing she could control was her funeral - she wished to make it a welcoming one… For her family’s sake…

The girl’s soiled fingers gripped the shovel and she continued to dig her own grave, swallowing snot, tears and her fracturing intention…

**Part XV: A phone call**

A buzzing of the phone was eminent in the otherwise silent office.

“Yes?..” A sleepy voice answered.

“Is this the Ozaki clinic?”

“Ah, what’s the matter?..” Shuffling intermitted the quiet, before another sentence was pulled up. “Can I have your name? I don’t think, I’ve ever heard from you before.”

“Please don’t… That name will become obsolete pretty soon anyway…”

“Eh? What are you talking about?”

“The pipeline.”

“What?”

“They’re in the pipeline… Find them…”

“Who _are_ they?” A grunt followed Toshio’s sleepless voice. “If you won’t bother to explain what’s happening, I’ll hang up. I have more pressing matters to return to-”

“Please… You don’t understand…”

“Do I… know you?” Toshio frowned, clutching the receiver, at how the week the voice sounded… He was sure, that if he thought hard enough, he would recognize it, though his thoughts were quickly cut off by another answer.

“You should… You’ll meet me soon enough…”

With that, the conversation died and the caller hung up…

The next evening, Toshio was more than a little perplexed, when his and Ohkawa’s talk reeled to Sotoba’s underground tunnel…


End file.
